The Song of Roland offers fascinating insights into medieval ideas about heroism, manhood, religion, race, & nationhood which were foundational for modern European culture. It is the oldest known surviving major work of French literature based on the Battle of Roncevaux in 778, during the reign of Charlemagne.

Simon Gaunt taught in Cambridge for 10 years before taking up his current position at King's College London in 1998. He has been Head of Department and Dean of Faculty at King's, also President of the Society for French Studies. He was Principal Investigator on an AHRC-funded research project (http://www.medievalfrancophone.ac.uk/) and is currently PI on an ERC-funded research project (https://blogs.kcl.ac.uk/tvof/).
Karen Pratt taught at Goldsmiths' College, University of London, until moving to King's College London in 1993. She has been President of the British branch of the International Courtly Literature Society, of the British Branch of the International Arthurian Society, and of the London Medieval Society. She was one of the investigators on a HERA-funded collaborative research project: http://dynamicsofthemedievalmanuscript.eu/.